Baramulla Review: Manav Kaul-led Tragic Horror Will Leave You Teary-Eyed

This next film that I am reviewing, here’s a thing, I am writing with tears in my eyes. Just finished the movie, and while from the trailer it didn’t give away even 1% of the depth it had, it was much more tragic than you can imagine. My honest Baramulla review is, the movie takes deeply buried history of not just Baramulla but entire Kashmir and threads it in a perfect horror. 

But mind you, this isn’t the kind of horror that jumpscares you, or gives you loud sound effects after slow buildups. It takes you through the tragedy, the melancholy, and blends it with a social chaos that is as real as the existence of wind.

I have been a fan of horror movies for a while, and often feel disappointed when a movie can’t scare me. But honestly? Baramulla didn’t disappoint me at all, despite the fact that it’s not a typical scare fare. 

The whole runtime covers multiple layers of this story. As you unfold them, you get more hooked. I would love to tell you more about the story, but let me first give you a warning, its beauty exists in exploring the movie’s unknown. If you go with spoilers ahead, you might lose the connection that is supposed to be deeper than the Marianas Trench. 

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Now, let’s Dive Deeper into the Baramulla movie story (Spoilers Ahead!)

Well, the story opens up with Manav Kaul’s character DSP Ridwaan Sayyed and his family moving to Baramulla and shifting to an old home. The region is infected by continuous terrorism, stone pelting, and brainwashing of local children. On his first day of joining, Ridwaan starts investigating the missing case of Shoaib, one of the kids who went missing. While initially, it feels like a simple kidnapping case done for either enmity or ransom, things start showing different signs.

Soon, more kids get tangled in this web, including DSP’s own daughter Noorie. In parallel with all this, spirits keep showing themselves to kids. For a while, you will be puzzled to figure out what these spirits even want. But as you get closer to the ending, a heartbreak reality unravels itself.

AGAIN! MAJOR Baramulla SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!

Turns out, these spirits in the DSP’s home were the family of Kashmiri Pandits who lived there and were massacred. These spirits were guarding the family, trying to warn them, keep them safe. In the process, they saved missing children from falling into the grasp of terrorism. Every kid that would try to join or falls into the trap of local terror groups, these spirits would secure them in an unknown realm where no harm would ever touch those kids. 

With everything falling into conclusion, all kids return home, safe and sound. But before that, these spirits show what happened to them, the kind of tragedy that they suffered when they could breathe, will leave you broken for a while. 

The worst part? Their tragedy takes direct inspiration from the suffering of real Kashmiri Pandits, who are still away from their homes, waiting for the ray of hope that will welcome them into the land where they belong, have always belonged.

The movie also pays tribute to them before the end credits roll. 

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Baramulla movie ending explained

Well, once the whole chain of events was over in Baramulla, the camera cuts to Mumbai six months later. There, we see DSP Ridwaan and his family handing over a box to a guy. The same box that a kid ghost was playing with earlier. This guy was none other than the only surviving member of the family that haunted DSP’s home in Baramulla. 

This ending basically signaled that those spirits trapped were finally at peace. So, the kid spirit, Ila, as her name was, didn’t need the box to play with it anymore. For the audience, it also gives a window into what happened to Sharad when he was not with his family during the exodus and massacre. 

My Bramulla Rating

I will give it 3 out of 5. While Aditya Suhas Jambhale, as the director, and Aditya Dhar, as someone responsible for the story, did great jobs, the momentum of the movie felt slow to me. I mean, the film could have been wrapped up in 1.5 hours with a little less fluff during the buildup. Or, maybe more fear elements could have been made part of the screenplay to keep the audience anxious, not just sad.

And this isn’t just my thoughts. Baramulla’s IMDB ratings and reviews say the same. With an aggregated 6.6 stars out of 10, reviews suggest that people, if they ditched, left the movie for its slow pace. However, the majority of users are praising it with love and appreciation, especially for Manav Kaul’s acting and a clever ability of Aditya Dhar to blend such a sensitive history with horror.

But this isn’t Dhar’s first rodeo. He has done some great work on titles like Uri: The Surgical Strike, Article 370, etc. Jambhale has also joined Aditya on Article 370 before Baramulla, which is probably their second collaboration.

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So, Should You Watch Baramulla on Netflix?

Well, if you’re someone who can appreciate a good story without yawning in between because of a little bit of slow pace, you should definitely give it a shot. It’s a story worth appreciating, irrespective of all its flaws. The most important reason for watching Baramulla, in my opinion, remains that now Bollywood is trying to experiment with horror. And with Names like Dhar and Jambhare in the industry, the future looks bright. 

Now, if you haven’t watched the Baramulla trailer yet, here it is:

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FAQs

Is the Baramulla movie a real story?

While the movie takes inspiration from some real tragic events that happened in the valley, as its makers clarify at the beginning of the movie, it’s an entirely fictional event. The story is created by Aditya Dhar.

What is the Baramulla movie release date?

Baramulla movie released on Netflix on November 7, 2025.

How to download the Baramulla movie?

Well, you can buy a Netflix subscription and download it on your phone or tablet to keep it saved offline within the app. However, if your subscription expires, you will lose access to the content as well.